The present invention relates generally to computer apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to portable handheld computers commonly referred to personal digital assistants (PDA's).
Small handheld computers of this general type typically have a correspondingly small elongated rectangular display screen operatively mounted on a front side wall of the computer housing. While manually grasping the computer in its operation and viewing orientation, a user may operate the computer using externally mounted operating switches or buttons on the housing. With the computer in such operation and viewing orientation the display screen is typically in a vertically elongated orientation (i.e., a "portrait" orientation) as seen by the user.
In some software applications, this portrait-only display screen orientation is sufficient for many of the uses for which the miniature handheld computer is intended. However, due to the narrow display width of its portrait-oriented screen there are a variety of applications that are visually hindered by this display screen orientation limitation. In addition, a single orientation display system within a handheld computer may not be ergonomically acceptable to its users. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved handheld computer in which these limitations are advantageously eliminated.